Beware the Little White Rabbit

by Various

Loss fills her, deep and incomprehensible, as she sits down next to the corpse and begins to cry.

  Someone should probably come looking for Alice soon.

  Maybe they’ll know what to do.

  To Eric for his love, to Mim for her heart, and to Dad for introducing me to Alice in the first place.

  Alice snapped off another shot and checked the image in her camera’s viewfinder. The light was wrong. She adjusted some settings and brushed a furry caterpillar off her subject, the rare Adders-Mouth orchid, an endangered species in the state of Connecticut. Or, at least she thought it was an Adders-Mouth.

  She plucked a waxen petal and pinched it, releasing a delicate cucumber fragrance. Now she had no doubt the tiny bloom was one of the rare specimens on her list. And in another minute, she’d have the perfect pic to bring back to the Wilderland Ecological Society, the group that had arranged this weekend trip.

  She glanced toward the path. There was no sign of her group through the thick growth of trees and brush. She was so not supposed to lag behind. Brooks was going to chew her out for sure, but if she got this shot, it would be worth their guide’s legendary wrath. Alice was determined to get into a top ecology program when she applied to colleges this year, and this summer elective was just the kind of extracurricular all the best schools liked to see.

  Not to mention the fact that Alice needed something to fill her time, occupy her mind until the day she could get out of here for good.

  Alice adjusted her angle, clicked off a few more shots, and then checked the images. “Got it. Sweet.” She stood with a smile, and turned, about to relocate the path so she could rejoin her hiking group. Instead she collided, face first, into a broad chest.

  Alice’s scream of shock drowned out the rumbling “Umph.” Overbalanced by his heavy pack, he flailed his arms to keep from going down.

  “Aaron,” she said. “Holy shit. Talk about heart attack.”

  Aaron rubbed his collarbone with a large, work-roughened hand. “Man, your head is hard.”

  “Sorry.”

  How totally embarrassing. This was nothing like her fantasies about alone time with Aaron Malik. But she couldn’t let her brain go there. Not now. Not out here.

  “Well,” she said, trying to keep her voice firm so she wouldn’t sound too pathetic. “That’s what you get for sneaking up on unsuspecting females in the woods.” A breeze blew a bit of crunchy leaf to his shoulder. She resisted the urge to reach up and brush it away.

  “You didn’t hear me?” Aaron said. “I’ve been calling for like five minutes. Brooks was looking for you. We’re not supposed to separate from the main group or leave the path, remember?”

  “But I saw patches of white over here when we were taking samples. Look.” She pointed to the growth of tiny, delicate flowers.

  “Hey, is that Adders-Mouth? Very cool. But we moved on almost an hour ago, and the light’s fading fast. Camp’s about half a mile from here. Where’s your pack?”

  Alice searched the shadowy brush for her gear. “There.” She pointed. “God, I’ll be glad when we can rest. My shoulders are gonna have permanent divots from all the weight.”

  Aaron laughed. “Yeah, they load us down pretty good on these trips.”

  Except he didn’t seem to have any difficulty managing his gear. Not that he should. She’d seen him in the gym after school, putting in his time in the weight room to stay in shape for lacrosse. As if to prove her point, Aaron grabbed her backpack and slung it around, one-handed, as though it weighed nothing.

  “Here you go.” He held it up so she could slip into it.

  She froze, eyeing her gear in his hands.

  “Well?” he asked.

  Alice turned around and let Aaron slide the straps over her arms. Before he settled its weight on her shoulders, he brushed her hair aside, and she barely held back a gasp at the feel of his warm fingers against her neck. He made a fuss over adjusting the straps just so.

  This had just become the best weekend of her life. If only this moment could last forever. But a second later, he seemed satisfied and spun her around to face him.

  “Thanks.” Alice stared into Aaron’s smiling face just a little too long. “So…”

  “Yeah.” His warm, brown eyes were soft, but he snapped to attention a second later. “Right. Let’s head out.”

  When Alice’s guidance counselor suggested she sign up for the Wilderland summer program, she had no idea the hot senior was part of it. Alice hadn’t believed her luck when she discovered they’d be participating in about a dozen hikes and three overnight campouts together. She’d been eyeing him, mostly from a distance, for two years – two hard years. Her fantasies about him had been one of the bright spots that fueled her through.

  With confident strides, Aaron led the way through the brush back to the path. “Wait ’til you see the campsite.” He flashed her a smile over his shoulder. “Right on the ridge overlooking Aster Meadow. You get the best sunrises and sunsets there.”

  “Sounds great.” No – better than great; sunset with Aaron Malik sounded too good to be true.

  While she’d been busy with her pictures, a gray cast had fallen over the woods. It would suck big-time to be stranded out here alone in the dark. On the other hand, having an excuse to stay close to Aaron wasn’t exactly a bad thing. He had at least three inches on Alice’s five foot four so her eyes were in line with the top of his pack. A plush, white rabbit keychain dangled from one of the zippers. It bobbed and swayed with every step, nearly hypnotizing her. She yawned, feeling their 4:00 a.m. start and closed her eyes momentarily. Total mistake. Alice smashed, nose-first, into Aaron’s shoulder.

  “Ouch!” Her eyes watered. “What the hell, Aaron? Why’d you stop?”

  “Shhh.” He turned and wrapped a quieting hand around her elbow.

  She looked at his fingers where they made warm contact with her bare skin. His was rougher and darker than Alice’s pale, freckled complexion. Her cheeks flushed hot. But then her brain registered the urgency in his voice. And his tightening grip. He put one finger up to his ear then pointed ahead.

  Alice cocked her head and listened. Something lumbered through the woods, heading in their direction. A deer maybe. Please let it be a deer. Twigs snapped and leaves crunched, giving away its hulking size. It chuffed and snorted.

  So not a deer.

  Every muscle in her body tensing, she bit her lip and peered around Aaron’s shoulder. “Oh my God,” she breathed.

  A massive black bear ambled through the brush right in their direction.

  Aaron’s large hand moved up Alice’s arm to her shoulder and pushed, urging her to go back the way they’d come. “It hasn’t scented us yet. We’re outta here.”

  Alice ignored the fact that the path to camp lay beyond the bear and plunged deeper into the woods. Her attempts at being quiet were a total fail, especially the darker it got. They kept throwing glances behind them, squinting into the dusky shadows, but with every step, the sounds of the bear faded to nothing.

  When they were a safe distance away, Aaron consulted his compass. “We need to circle back east.”

  “But how? It’s all bog that way.” Even here, the ground was spongy with moisture.

  “You’re right.” He stared down the dark path ahead. “Let’s stop for a second.” He grunted with relief as he swung his pack off his back. Alice followed suit.

  “What if we headed west? Circle the long way around?” she suggested.

  “We may run into Smokey again if he keeps on the way he was heading.” He looked up at the sky. “And it’s getting super dark. I’ve been hiking and camping these woods for three summers now, but I can’t navigate to Aster Meadow after nightfall. Even with a flashlight.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I think we’re camping on our own tonight, Alice.”

  She gulped. Alone? With Aaron Malik? No effin’ way.

  “Are you sure? What if we – ?”

  “Look, I don’t like it any
more than you do, but night’s closing in fast.” He gestured to the air around him.

  “Yeah. You’re right,” she whispered through the hitch in her throat.

  “I know a good spot not too far from here.”

  They shouldered their packs again and got moving. Aaron barely said a word. This sucked big-time. They’d both be in trouble, and she was to blame. He’d just been trying to help. She finally got her shot at hanging out with him after years of long-distance drooling, and this had to happen.

  And how would they pass the time? A whole night…?

  She remembered the feel of his fingers brushing her neck – except in her head, instead of merely slipping the backpack over her shoulders, Aaron pulled her close…closer…

  Snap out of it, Alice!

  What the heck was she even thinking? That was so not going to happen. Hadn’t he just said he hated this whole situation? At best, she’d be lucky to make it through the night without making a complete fool of herself. Oh God, what if she made a complete fool of herself? She was a camper, yeah, a good one too. But Aaron was a total outdoorsman, way out of her league.

  As if on cue, she tripped and scraped her arm on some rough tree bark. Big surprise there; it was so dark she could barely see two feet in front of her.

  Aaron spun on her. “You okay?”

  She touched the stinging scrape. And now she was bleeding…super. “It’s nothing. Really.”

  It could have been worse. A lot worse. Camping alone in the woods was no joke. The evening was still warm and humid, but her arms, bare in her tank top, broke out in goose bumps. A million horror stories ran through her mind. Animal attack – the bear – or something even worse. What if a crazed axe murderer was stalking them? Right now. Tracking their every move. She jumped at a crack-snap in the shadows to her left then tripped because she wasn’t looking in front of her. Again.

  “I’m fine,” she said when Aaron threw her another worried glance.

  Alice blew out a frustrated breath of air. She needed to stop acting like a newbie. Being around Aaron had her off balance, on edge, and she was forgetting everything her dad had taught her.

  Well, no more.

  “We need to stop,” she said. “It isn’t safe to keep moving. Too dark.”

  Aaron nodded. “I think this is good anyway.” He stamped hard on the earth below his feet and ran a booted foot over the ground. “Feels solid. We’ll stay dry.” He dropped his pack and sat heavily on a rock.

  “Works for me.” Alice stood there, not knowing what to do with herself. If he was pissed off, talking might only make it worse. Regardless, they needed to make camp, and the best way to combat nerves was to take initiative. It’s what her father would have done. “What supplies do you have?” she asked. “Let’s take stock, figure out our resources.”

  Aaron was busy trying to unknot an unwieldy boot string but paused to give her an appraising look. Their eyes met for a long time, and she felt the rush of heat again. Did he feel it too? Yeah, right. He was probably wishing he’d never crossed her path. Look at the mess she’d gotten him into.

  She swallowed, and her throat clicked. She needed a drink. And a grip.

  “Water’s most important.” Alice dug through her stuff. “I have a small bottle, half-full, and this huge one. What about you?”

  “Two small bottles. We’ll be good until we find the group, but we should go light. Just in case.”

  His flat voice wasn’t giving away his mood.

  “Boy am I glad I got stuck carrying a tent,” she blabbered. “Oh no. That means poor Dinah and Tanisha are stuck without one.”

  She sunk to the ground and drew her knees to her chest. How could she be so stupid as to let this happen? When this was all over, she’d be lucky if anyone in Wellspring would talk to her. Alice blinked against the threatening tears and swallowed back the burning in her throat. But no, she would not cry, had promised her dad she’d never waste her time on tears.

  “Don’t worry, Alice. Brooksie will reconfigure everyone. I’ve spent the night with five people squished into one of these three-man deals. They’ll be okay. And I’m extra thankful because, unlike you, I’m not carrying a tent.”

  Wait a minute. Was he trying to reassure her?

  Aaron gave her his lopsided smile, the one that made the dimple in his cheek pop out. He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed gently before turning back to his pack.

  Maybe he didn’t hate her after all. Maybe the others wouldn’t either.

  Then she registered what he’d said. He had no tent. She did. One tent. Two people.

  Oh God.

  “Oh good,” she squeaked, then cleared her throat. “What else do I have? Let’s see.” Alice laid each item on the ground as she extracted it from her pack. “Brooks had me carry an extra camp light, a bunch of cocoa packets, first aid kit, box of raisins, and a tarp. And for my own personal stash, I brought a couple of granola bars, an extra flashlight” – which she switched on – “my blow-up pillow, and some dark chocolate.”

  Aaron laughed. “Cocoa and dark chocolate. We can stay out here forever.”

  She shot a surprised look at him, but he didn’t mean it the way she heard it. No way he wanted to stay forever with her. Hadn’t he already made that perfectly clear?

  “What about you?” Alice laid out the tarp and settled onto it, gratefully. She hated wet butt.

  “I have dried soup, but no pot. A deck of cards,” which he handed to her. The Queen of Hearts on the box eyed her suspiciously. “A camp shovel, three-pack of fire starters, matches, and a jar of mini hot dogs.”

  “We’re officially camping in style,” she said.

  “One more thing.”

  Alice heard a click followed by radio static. He tuned the dial and the night was full of…

  “Is that the death metal show at the local college station?” she asked.

  “Sorry.” Aaron messed with the dial some more. “Not much comes in out here.” He sounded disappointed as he clicked off the portable radio. “We’ll give it a little while. The DJ will change over soon.”

  Alice laughed. “Perfect. Weenies and death metal by firelight.”

  That got a chuckle out of him, and their eyes met again. His gaze held hers, then swept downward to her lips and back up again. Alice held her breath. The breeze caught a strand of her curly blond hair, and it tickled her face. Before she could brush it away, Aaron did it for her then looked down as if embarrassed.

  The lightening of Aaron’s mood gave Alice new courage. She reached to lay a hand on his arm, and his eyes snapped back to hers. His skin was so warm it startled her, making her forget what she’d been about to say for a second. She pulled her hand back but forged on with her apology. “I’m so sorry, Aaron. This really sucks, and it’s all my fault.”

  He sighed. “Hey, don’t sweat it. Bears happen.”

  “But if you hadn’t come to find me, you wouldn’t be stuck in this mess. I know you’re wishing anyone else had gotten roped into this.”

  “No,” he said, eyes on his hands. He toyed with a twig.

  “No?”

  He spoke without meeting her eyes. “I volunteered to come find you. I wanted to make sure you were okay.” His gaze darted to Alice’s face then back down again as if he was unsure of her reaction.

  What did that mean? Simply because she needed something to do, Alice took a sip of water. He’d barely noticed her in all their time in high school, and now he was leaving for college soon. She was nothing to him.

  Alice nudged the tent. “Better get this set up.”

  “Fire first. Tent second. Food third.” He clicked on a large metal flashlight and shoved it under his arm. “Let’s go.”

  Aaron held out his hands to her, and Alice took hold of them. He hauled her up so easily she nearly fell into him, but he steadied her with a hand to her waist before stomping off in search of wood.

  Alice grabbed her camp light from her pile of worldly goods and followed.

&nbs
p; Aaron’s laugh carried to her through the dark night. “This reminds me of that time at Morris Park Beach when we were tagging Sharp-tailed Sparrow nests. Remember?”

  Alice spun, nearly dropping the branch in her hand, and eyed Aaron’s shadowy outline. He remembered that? Their circles had overlapped briefly on and off throughout school, but she’d had little time for friends with all her family craziness. And when everything settled down, she hadn’t seemed to want a social life, preferring her solo hikes in the quiet of the woods.

  The trip to Morris Park Bird Sanctuary had been the only real time she’d ever spent with Aaron and one of the high points of her life. Not only had they raced around madly, tagging more nests than any other team, Alice got to spend ninety wonderful minutes alone in his company. The pinnacle had been the moment their hands touched as they tried to fold back a thick growth of marsh grass. Alice had thought her heart might stop.

  Of course she remembered. But him? Whoa.

  “We’re good nesters,” she said. “A good nesting team. I mean, we’re a good team.” Could she be any lamer?

  “Hey!” Aaron said. “Here’s a huge broken branch.” He dropped the wood in his arms and tugged. “It’s stuck.”

  “Here. Let me help.”

  After a couple heaves, the branch pulled free of the dirt and brush all at once. They stumbled back with the momentum, their feet and legs tangling together.

  “Oh no,” Alice shouted, and a moment later, they went down. Aaron hit the dirt first, and Alice sprawled on top of him. Because, really, this day wasn’t embarrassing enough already.

  “That’s not how I imagined that going,” Aaron said.

  Alice cracked up laughing. “Really? I’d been hoping we could do that all day long.”

  “I can’t move my leg,” he said.

  “That’s because I’m lying on it,” she said, laughing even harder. “I think you broke my rib with your elbow.”

  “Oh, Alice.” He sounded mortified. “Are you okay?”

  “Totally fine.” She tried to shift to her knees, but their legs were still entangled and she only managed to squirm around a little. Then she froze.